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Lookalikes of the Sextuplets
The Sextuplets from Osomatsu-kun may sometimes show up in other Fujio Akatsuka works, but sometimes this may also be limited to the eldest brother Osomatsu. At other times, none will appear at all but a similar, separate character may appear as the protagonist or supporting cast member of a title. It may be disingenuous to simply claim any young Japanese boy protagonist of a certain design is automatically an Osomatsu lookalike; these characters usually share various traits in common besides one thing like the haircut, round eyes, or so on. This list will categorize such types, who are separate stars in their own right even if some may have only been exclusive to their own titles. Evolution of Character Design The sextuplets' looks were very inconsistent early on, as it seemed that Akatsuka as well as his early assistants (his wife Tomoko, and Takao Yokoyama) struggled to settle on a face for them. In chapter 1, they appeared with smaller eyes and large, snubbed round noses. The following week, the characters' faces were modified to seemingly appear cuter, with a more shojo look to their eyes and faces. From that point on, their designs gradually evolved to the point where they had larger eyes and were taller in proportion. This may have been due to the influence of Kenichiro Takai, who became the art chief for the bulk of the run. However, they would shrink back down through the Shonen Sunday run, especially depending on the given assistant for a chapter and how Akatsuka sketched them in the draft pages. Their eyes and pupils could also enlarge in size, and some reprints of Shonen Sunday chapters would at times have the sextuplets' heads altered, with new faces pasted over the originals to give them the wider, "cuter"-styled eyes. The Shonen King run has the boys looking much shorter and super-deformed in design, as does the 1976 Shonen Jump one-shot and the artwork for the Shiobun reprints. By the 1980s reboot, the characters initially appeared taller again, but he trend of having the sextuplets' heights shrink would repeat through both serializations in Comic BomBom and TV Magazine. This was again due to how Akatsuka would draft them out, and how the art would be completed (though art that was entirely completed on his own could show similar trends in a shorter appearance and larger eyes). Generally, the sextuplets may appear taller in merchandise and new Fujio Pro art if the 1960s designs are more closely paid mind to. Other times, the tendency for them to shrink and appear somewhat chubbier will repeat once more. Possible Origins These separate characters predated the sextuplets, but offer a possible evolutionary chain with their designs and personalities that are witnessed in the works. Mimi-tan Origin: Matsuge-chan Publication Year: 1958-1961 The trouble-making, mischievous little brother of Matsuge. His general attitude and simple appearance seem like they would have factored into an eventual protagonist type of character. He is not yet old enough to be a grade school student, and attempts to learn how to be one from a boy named Ken-chan (who is basically Kantaro with hair). Though Mimi-tan's design doesn't appear very similar to the sextuplets in the actual run of Matsuge-chan, the design shown in the cover and liner page illustrations on the second Kinran kashihon in early 1962 would happen to give viewers a much more "Matsuno"-looking Mimi-tan; more gag-styled simplified eyes, a smoother hairstyle more in their vein, and an overall streamlined face. Chankichi (チャン吉) Origin: Chankichi-kun Publication Year: 1962 A rough, bratty young boy. He has considerably harsher features, such as his messy hair and sharper snub nose and buckteeth, but his attitude and lead role would offer another possible link in this chain. He could also comparable to Nama-chan, in his lazy and wild ways, and his feature bears a prototypical child resembling Extraordinary Ataro's eventual Dekoppachi but named Dabo. Protagonist of "Mr. Kaguya" and "I am a Salaryman" Origin: Mr. Kaguya, I am a Salaryman Publication Year: 1962 This young man has a somewhat more developed design compared to Chankichi above, resembling something closer to the chapter 1 sextuplets but with messier hair and a harsher face (sharp snub nose) and expressions. He is named Tosao in the first story, but it is debatable if he's the same star in the later story due to some art evolution between the two. However, there is nothing necessarily proving otherwise as well. This boy is presumably in the 5th grade like the sextuplets, and his parents in the second one-shot resemble theirs as well. However, he has a younger brother, who will eventually be developed into Tamao of Otasuke-kun. If there is a character besides the sextuplets that could be considered a possible continuation of this star, it may be Jinta, who shares the messy fringed hair, snubbed nose, and freckles. Smaller Lookalikes These younger boys that debuted after the sextuplets may share the faces and general look, and maybe even some personality traits, but they are separate people. Do not mistake them for any part of that pack. Ma-chan Origin: O-chan's Eleven Friends A small, innocent boy and the youngest of the cast. Ma-chan somewhat resembles Boku from Akko-chan, or the Mimi-tan seen in the new reprint cover illustrations of Matsuge-chan, but generally looks as if he could be a sextuplet shrunk down (with the snubbed nose being the only glaring difference, along with his eyes usually drawn in the early 'shojo' way). Ken (Yuki's Younger Brother) Origin: Yuki's Blue Eyes Another small boy closely resembling the sextuplets; in fact, he may pretty much be the same actor as Ma-chan/Boku with there being no real difference between their designs. Boku Origin: Akko-chan's Got a Secret! (1962-1965 Ribon run), chapter 3 This little toddler shows up once as a guest star. He has the hair and eyes of the sextuplets, but appears with the snub nose they had in ch.1. Some other panels also give him the more 'shojo' eyes of the ch.2 sextuplets, in an attempt at a cuter look. He may notably share the name of the protagonist from Boku Knows Best, but is otherwise a much different person. In the 1969 Picture Book edition of Akko-chan (newly adapting different chapters from the manga), Boku is redesigned somewhat and has a cowlick similar to that of Kankichi's original design. Kankichi (version 1) (カン吉) Origin: Akko-chan's Got a Secret! (1962-1965 Ribon run), Kibimama-chan. Before his better-known designs in the Akko-chan anime and the later runs of its manga, Kankichi originally had the look of a smaller, 2nd grade Matsuno. He was initially slightly taller in his debut, but quickly was shrunk down to have a considerable size difference between him and his sister throughout the chapter He has the exact facial features of the sextuplets, but is given the "cheek beard" marks of Chibita on his face to signify him being dirty-faced and rough. Instead of two cowlicks sticking up in back, he is given a single coiled and spring-shaped type (although an art error in his debut gave him two cowlicks in one panel). The uniform coat that Kankichi comes to wear later on has two buttons, to fit his smaller size, and is often colored green or teal but may sometimes appear dark blue. In the 1970 New Years newsletter by Fujio Pro, it appears as if this Kankichi and his redesign are treated as separate entities when it comes to showing a line-up of super-deformed character heads of Akatsuka stars and both being represented in different lineups (The first design with some other Kibimama-chan cast members, while the other is with the Akko-chan cast). Ken-chan (Newspaper strips) (ケンちゃん) Origin: Ken-chan This little boy serves as a smaller protagonist type. His face and hair are much like Osomatsu, who occasionally appears as a trickster mentor type of figure to him, but he has a curled edge to his bangs and the sharp snubbed nose. Other -kun cast members also appear in his series, though he never makes a guest appearance back in turn. However, a small boy with a similar face and hair style can be seen in "Parody Version of Treasure Island", but it is unknown if it was intended as him, $-chan, or even really anyone in particular. Lookalikes with Freckles Although the freckles would not become a permanent feature of the sextuplets beyond the first few frontspieces, this type of identifying mark would show up on some derivatives of their design. Jinta (ジン太) Origin: Circus Jinta The protagonist of this limited Adventure King serial would seem to be continuation of the "Mister Kaguya"/"I am a Salaryman" boy, but refined in design some. He has eyes much like the sextuplets' style and even appears with a nose like theirs in one frontispiece. However, he is usually given a sharper snubbed nose, and his hair is somewhat shaggier with his long bangs falling in the center. Like the early designs of the sextuplets, he can be seen with buck teeth at times in addition to his freckles. Sasuke (サースケ) Origin: You're a Shinobi, Sasuke-kun The protagonist of this two-month'' Bokura'' feature was effectively a re-use of Kankichi, but slightly taller like the sextuplets themselves and with freckles instead of the cheek marks. His nose is meant to be drawn as upturned and a snub shape, save for a panel where it was rounded like the sextuplets'. Chota (長太) Origin: Leave it to Chota This young boy was originally considered to have a plainer design, as seen in a prototype "new series" announcement the month before it debuted. He would have had smaller eyes and a large nose like the ch.1 sextuplets, but appear somewhat taller and be clad in worker overalls like his father. In his actual series, glasses were added to his design and he was made to look younger. He was first depicted with wilder hair and a distinctive overbite, but quickly evolved to resemble a glasses-wearing Osomatsu with messier hair and freckles. This may have been intentional, as -kun was popular and a similar protagonist could be more eye-catching. The uniform coat that Chota wears can often have a striped texture to it like the sextuplets', but sometimes he will also appear with a checkered texture on it to imply something like plaid. Within the context of the series, it can be said that Chota's looks are mostly from his mother (who happens to resemble Matsuyo), and his early overbite was meant to reflect back on his father's design. As with the sextuplets, Chota's height decreases through the publication. $-chan (ドルちゃん) Origin: Akatsuka-kun Can Do Anything This protagonist was developed to be the star of the title. Perhaps due to his personality and connection to Chibita, $-chan serves as the equivalent for Osomatsu and any of his brothers. Though, if one were to keep the original title in mind and the implication of him being the "Akatsuka-kun", he could also even be seen to stand in for his creator Fujio Akatsuka. $-chan has an identical rounded face and features, but his bangs curl outwards and the freckles are visible on his cheeks. He only wears a school uniform in the introduction to the series and the frontispiece for "$-chan and the Man of Snow"; otherwise, he will wear whatever fashion is appropriate for each setting. $-chan's mother would almost be another lookalike of Matsuyo, though her glasses are much smaller and her squinted eyes may not make that immediately obvious. Hybrid Types Protagonist of "Yo-Yo Kapo-kun" Origin: Yo-Yo Kapo-kun A boy that resembles a taller Chibita, but with dark hair in a cut almost like these kids, but with a more jutting and angular ahoge. A smaller Ichiro is seen around him in the story, menaced by his yo-yo. Songo Origin: Songo-kun The lead of this series is a taller young man who has a dark bowl-cut and rounded nose like the sextuplets, but his face is otherwise mostly that of Chibita. His father is re-used from that of Chota, as well as that of Otasuke-kun. Other Types Saburo Origin: Adventures of Saburo If not for his shaved head, Saburo's very face and two remaining cowlicks indicate that he is another boy of the same "Matsuno" template. However, it is that shaved head that helps set him apart. Saburo's Brother Origin: Adventures of Saburo This young man looks nearly spot-on to the sextuplets, other than the fact that he'd be wearing glasses. He would long predate Chota as such a "glasses type" of character, but does not have any freckles. Joji Origin: Akko-chan's Got a Secret! If not merely $-chan in a guest role himself, this child resembles a cross between $-chan and Chota; he has the flick of hair and the curled lip of $-chan, but the glasses of Chota. Like both, he has a freckled face. Enemy Schoolboy Origin: Kyuhei and Sister This junior high student has a rounded face and features exactly like the sextuplets', but has closely-shaved hair underneath his student hat as well as the freckles. Kyuhei catches him and some other older boys having grabbed a small dog from its owner, and fights this leader to the point of both of them getting stuck on a bridge's railing. Category:Lists